Natalia Cieslak is 34 and raised in Poland, but currently working remotely from Italy where she nowadays has her home. Nat has been working with startups in the digital sector for the past nine years. With an educational background in Economics and Politics, Natalia has also got some political experience to her name.
Currently, Natalia is the Director of the AppJobs Institute and Head of Member Growth at AppJobs. Her work is based on a strong remote work culture and testing the latest innovations with her teams.
Natalia and her team’s current endeavors include labour market analysis to help ensure that the Future of Work is transparent and accessible to everyone and share insights with stakeholders to assist in decision-making processes.
What drives you as a leader?
– I would say transformational goal, when I can see that the work we have been doing as a team is influential and introduces new trends. Besides this, of course a good team, because a leader is nothing without a strong team. I do not like the emphasis around leaders from a branding standpoint. As a leader, my responsibility is to strive to bring out the best in my team to drive this transformational goal. And I love to observe the results.
You worked at the Polish Embassy in Nairobi in the past. What was that like?
– I was working in Kenya at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland. I was there to conduct research and work on publications mostly regarding human rights issues in Tanzania and Somalia.
It was a very eye-opening experience to which I am thankful. I wrote my master’s thesis analyzing the causes and consequences of collapsing states in Sub-saharan Africa.I have also worked as the Polish representative to UNEP and UN-HABITAT.
What are your thoughts on the Future of Work?
– The Future of Work is an ongoing transformation to which we can all contribute. The gig economy will be one of major components of this change as the workforce is likely to favor flexibility over older structures and processes. We are now in need of a more responsive system that will tackle the social and economic issues and challenges that our society faces such as immigration, technological advancement, millennials in the labor market, etc.
On the other hand, we have to recognize that every transformation brings new challenges, as there is a need for adjustment and new regulations that need to be put in place. The future of work also presents us with new challenges, some of which are more important than ever to address due to lack of safety, blurring of legal definitions, low pay, social isolation, overwork and exhaustion. I think this transformation is part of an evolution and not something that we can stop. That’s why we should strive to make the transition as smooth, painless and transparent as possible.
What is your favorite company besides AppJobs?
– I love Vogue as a company. Even though I’m not that interested in fashion, I follow two language editions. It is amazing how they apply modernity, showcase even political statements and comments about the changing world in their expertise and profile.
They drive perfectly globally consistent products and businesses on a local level. Not to mention the successful leaders they have had. They show how businesses can express their own perspective on our changing world and that learning is a never-ending process and we shouldn’t be afraid to leave our comfort zone. There’s always something new that can be done in any field.
What is your favorite podcast?
– I don’t listen to podcasts very often, but one podcast that has definitely stuck in my mind is by the Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky. It is about listening to a single-user voice carefully and how much it matters. I like Masters of Scale podcasts by Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of Linkedin. Besides podcasts, I also love Masterclasses. I watch them all the time.